By John Burgum
SWANSEA City have short-listed Northampton's John Gayle among the players who could solve their lack of firepower.
Manager Alan Cork has already spoken to his opposite number Ian Atkins to see whether the Cobblers would be prepared to release the experienced 6ft 3ins front-runner.
The much-travelled Gayle, who began his career at Cork's old club Wimbledon, was in the Northampton side that pipped Swansea for the last promotion spot at Wembley last May.
But at 33 his place is no longer secure following the recent £75,000 capture of Middlesbrough's Chris Freestone.
Northampton also have former Swan Carl Heggs, currently in a rich vein of form, and David Seal, a former target of Jan Molby's, vying for front-running roles.
Cork would not confirm his interest in Gayle, but revealed that he had spoken to several clubs in both the First and Second Divisions.
''We desperately need someone who has proved himself at our level,'' said the manager.
Another former Cork colleague, Steve Anthrobus, is also believed to be among the Swansea targets.
The 29-year-old, who moved from Shrewsbury to Crewe for £75,000 last March, is currently recovering from injury.
Swansea have been drawn away to Hakin Utd in the West Wales Senior Cup.
The tie will be played at the Marble Hall ground in Milford Haven on Sunday, January 11 (2).
By Karl Woodward - Western Mail
Swansea City owners are backing Alan Cork to transform the club's playing fortunes.
But Neil McClure, chairman of Silver Shield Plc of which the Division Three club is a subsidiary, insisted it was not a dreaded vote of confidence that sometimes precedes a beleaguered manager getting the sack.
The 38-year-old Cork was abused by sections of the Swans fans as he left the field after a 2-0 home defeat by Barnet on Sunday left his side with only 1 win in 11 matches.
Some called for for his departure and the return of player-manager Jan Molby.
But McClure told the Western Mail last night, "Alan has to be given time.
"Steve Hamer (Swansea's chairman) and I feel he is doing a lot of good things to get the club back on the right road.
"We have to stick behind him and give him all the support we can. It's very difficult taking over in the middle of a season for anyone to expect him to work miracles.
"Even an experienced campaigner like Barry Fry couldn't do it at Peterborough last season. They were relegated and he needed the close season to start putting things right.
"The same applied when Jan Molby took over at Swansea. He couldn't save the club from relegation. It wasn't until Billy Ayre arrived as his assistant that the team's fortunes started to change.
"Getting rid of Molby clearly didn't endear us or Alan Cork to the supporters but we feel Alan has the making of the manager who will get us out of the division.
"We are not sorry we dismissed Molby. It hasn't kept me awake one night. Anyone who believes Jan was a saint should ask himself why he didn't get himself fit to play more often if he was as committed to the club as he claimed to be.
Jan is undoubtedly a very talented player, still young enough to play in the premiership if he was in peak condition."
Silver Shield will next week reveal their ambitions for the ailing Swans in a five-year plan embracing a move from the outdated Vetch Field to a new stadium at Morfa by 1999.
Reviewing the company's first 90 days in control, McClure said, "It has not gone as badly as I feared but not as well as I'd hoped.
"Doug Sharpe painted a black picture when we took over the club from him. And indeed it was black. But we haven't found any gaping holes other than those we knew about, with the exception of the safety issue which caused our home match with Chester to be postponed.
"I still believe Swansea is a big city which will one day have a successful football club people will turn out to support.
"My New Year's wish is that by this time next year Swansea City and Cardiff City are being clearly identified as promotion favourites."
By John Burgum - Evening Post
ALAN Cork stepped up the search for a striker today, determined to map out a more prosperous New Year for struggling Swansea City.
"I've got a number of phone calls to make regarding three or four players," said Cork, who has been given the goahead to increase a top heavy squad of 25 pros.
Swansea are desperate to enlist a goal-scoring forward after a miserable run which has produced just one strike in four League games and have a week to find one before the next game against Peterborough in the Auto Windscreens Shield.
"We need a fairy godmother to give us a goal-scorer because we do not really look like scoring," said Cork after yesterday's 2-0 defeat at home to Barnet.
The club's l5th defeat in 25 games leaves Swansea third from bottom, squeezed between Hull and Brighton - their next two League opponents.
It was accompanied by unwarranted chants of "What a load of rubbish", and calls for the return of Jan Molby which Cork, though clearly shaken, shrugged aside to reaffirm his commitment to Swansea's cause.
"I am here for three years and I am not walking away," insisted the manager.
"The crowd can shout what they like. It does not worry me. I am here to do a job and I'll do it," said Cork.
"Obviously I know what the crowd here is like. All crowds are the same. They are all very fickle. They want success the same as we do.
"What the crowd must realise is that while they are entitled to shout what they like it will affect the younger players, not me," he added.
Despite putting a brave face on the post-match inquest into another match which got away from Swansea because of a lack of firepower Cork cut a rather forlorn figure after the failure to satisfy supporters on the home front.
Swansea have not won at home since September 5 - a nine-match League run which equals the worst sequences of 1938-39 and 1995-96 - and two months into his first job as a manager Cork must be wondering where the next win is coming from.
"Confidence is a major factor in any sport and that is at the root of our problems. You only acquire that by winning games. When you are down as we are confidence is bound to be at a low," he explained.
Without a match next weekend because of Darlington's involvement in the FA Cup, Cork will continue the search for new players fully acknowledging the difficulties he faces.
"I've been in this position before. It's not easy attracting players when you are down at the bottom," he admitted.
Cork also revealed that he has had no interest in any of the four players recently transfer-listed.
"I've not had a phone call," he said.
By Paul Abbandonato - Wales on Sunday
SWANSEA CITY manager Alan Cork is ready to axe close on £1m worth of talent as he shakes up his team for today's Division Three clash with Barnet at The Vetch.
Cork, fed up with the way the team keeps losing under his leadership, is adopting a ruthless approach with the places of some of his best players under threat.
Welsh under-21 cap Jonathan Coates, the Swans most creative player and rated in the £400,000 class, is one of the men set to lose his spot after being `demoted' to the reserves for a friendly against Llanelli yesterday.
Also likely to be dropped are Coates' former international colleague Chris Edwards, also rated at £400,000, rising star Jason Price and striker Dave O'Gorman, who the Swans bought from Barry Town earlier in the season.
Cork is adopting his no nonsense approach after a dressing room blast at his players following the 2-0 defeat at Torquay on Boxing Day. He told them then that four would be stuck in the reserves against Llanelli and wouldn't play against Barnet.
Whether dropping your best players is a tactic that works remains to be seen, but Cork says he is fed up with the Swans' inability to produce two decent displays on the trot.
It appears he has made Coates, Edwards, Price and O'Gorman the fall men, replacing that quartet against Barnet today with other squad players.
The news follows Cork's decision earlier this season to send a circular to other Football League clubs inviting offers for eight of his Swans players.
Coates, Edwards and Price were not named on that circular. But the news that the trio are suddenly out of favour will alert clubs who have been chasing them during 1997.
Previous Swans boss Jan Molby turned down a £375,000 bid from an ambitious Second Division outfit for Coates, feeling it wasn't the right move for a player he believes can reach Premiership status.
Edwards, targetted by Wimbledon, and West Ham, was also the subject of a huge six-figure bid by a First Division club, which was turned down.
And Price, supposedly being tailed by Southampton is valued at over £150,000 by the Swans who see the young right back as another player with Premiership potential.
Two more highly rated youngsters, centre back Kris O'Leary and midfielder Lee Jenkins, are likely to come into contention for a match Cork's side desperately need to win.
Only Doncaster's abysmal form at the bottom of the table stops the Swans turning into genuine Vauxhall Conference relegation contenders, but they still can't rest easily until they start winning a few more matches.
If Doncaster, under new manager Danny Bergra, win their game in hand, they will be 10 points behind the Swans. With three points for a win that sort of gap can soon be closed - so it's just as well for Cork that Doncaster appear to be so bad.
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